Triano proud to carry the flag for Canada

DENVER -- As his whirlwind day unfolded, Jay Triano was too busy to realize he'd just made NBA history.

"The way things transpired, I didn't remember I was Canadian," laughed the new head coach of the Raptors last night at the team's hotel.

It definitely will sink in when he's introduced in that capacity tomorrow and O' Canada is played at Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake City.

"That anthem always meant something to me," the Niagara Falls native said. "If this is any way of representing Canada, then I'm proud; If it's seen as a slight (that a Canadian was hired over an American), then I'm offended."

Triano, 50, has a playing background with Simon Fraser University and the Canadian Olympic squad, national team coaching experience and seven years in the NBA with the Raptors.

"I have a lot of faith and confidence with Jay," general manager Bryan Colangelo said. "He has an opportunity to cut his teeth in a unique way."

Triano met with the players yesterday, soon after the news of Sam Mitchell's firing.

"It was a surprise to everybody," point guard Jose Calderon said. "This is the bad thing about the NBA. I just want to thank Sam for what has happened to me on the court and outside. This was my fourth year with him and he gave me the opportunity to be his point guard. I just wish him best of luck with his next team, because for sure he will get another (job).

"We would have been with Sam 100% today and tomorrow and now we'll be behind Jay 100%, too. I don't know if it will take us long to be a better basketball team, but we're trying every night."

Jermaine O'Neal chaired a players' meeting after Tuesday's 132-93 thrashing by the Nuggets. Mitchell had not addressed the team afterwards, but through the media, reminded them that success hungry kids on outdoor courts play with as much intensity as NBAers, which O'Neal expanded upon.

"This is a business and we get paid a heck of a lot of money to play," O'Neal said. "If we think we can turn it on and turn it off, we're fooling ourselves. I've been in situations (with Portland and Indiana) where we thought we could do that.

"I think we realized (Tuesday) that guys looked embarrassed. They got beat by 40 points. The Denver Nuggets are a good team, but not that good."

O'Neal said it wasn't fair for people to use Mitchell as a scapegoat.

"Coaches will always take the blame, but right now it's the players. It doesn't matter what the coach or anyone else in the front office says. We play the game."